Why planning applications are the best lead source most trades ignore
A planning application is a homeowner or developer raising their hand. They're telling their local council — and by extension, anyone paying attention — exactly what work they want done, at exactly which address, starting soon.
For trade businesses, this is a fundamentally better signal than any paid advertising platform. The homeowner has already decided they want the work. They're in the planning stage. They haven't hired anyone yet. And crucially, most of your competitors aren't watching.
The problem has always been access. UK planning applications are technically public, but they're scattered across 350+ council portals, each with a different interface and search system. Checking them manually — even for a single area — would take hours a day.
Over 500,000 planning applications are submitted in England and Wales each year. Scotland and Northern Ireland add tens of thousands more. PlanWire monitors all of them continuously.
How keyword monitoring works
PlanWire scrapes every UK planning portal — Idox, Northgate, Civica, Ocella and more — and indexes each application's description and address. You give us the keywords that matter to your business. We match every new application against them and send you a daily digest.
The matching runs against the application description, which is where the useful detail lives. A planning application for a rear extension in Bristol might read: "Erection of single storey rear extension and installation of solar panels to roof." If you're a solar installer, that's a lead. If you're an insulation company, a nearby new build might read: "Construction of detached dwelling with air source heat pump and external wall insulation." That's yours too.
You choose the keywords. We match them across the entire UK, every day, and email you the results.
What to monitor by trade
Builders and general contractors
New builds, extensions, and conversions are your bread and butter. Cast a wide net — planning descriptions vary between councils.
Insulation and energy efficiency companies
New builds and extensions are the highest-value opportunity — insulation gets specified at build stage. Also monitor for retrofits and listed building consent applications where energy upgrades are often required.
Solar panel and EV charging installers
Many solar and EV charging installations require planning permission — particularly in conservation areas, on listed buildings, or for larger commercial installations. But even applications that don't mention solar directly are leads: a rear extension or new build is almost always looking for an installer.
Window and door companies
Extensions, orangeries, and new builds all need windows. Conservation area applications frequently mention window replacement and glazing specifications, which are a warm signal for heritage-spec suppliers.
Landscapers and garden designers
Full planning permission for residential development, change of use, and commercial development are all signals that a site is about to need landscaping. Extensions with outdoor space alterations also appear regularly.
Drone surveyors and mapping companies
Large commercial and industrial applications, outline planning permissions, and major infrastructure projects all require aerial survey work at various stages. Monitoring these by keyword gets you in before the tender process starts.
The timing advantage
Planning applications become public the moment they're validated by the council — typically within a few days of submission. The average decision time for a householder application is around 8 weeks. That gives you a significant window to reach the homeowner or developer before any work has started, before they've had quotes, and before they've committed to anyone.
Most businesses that use this approach send a brief, professional letter to the site address — addressed to "The Homeowner" or to the company name on the application — mentioning the relevant planning application and introducing their service. Response rates vary, but the timing is incomparably better than cold marketing: the prospect has already signalled they want exactly what you offer.
Planning applications are checked every 15 minutes. New matches appear in your daily digest email within 24 hours of being published by the council.
Nationwide or region-specific
If your business operates nationally — a roofing materials supplier, a specialist contractor, a franchise — you want nationwide coverage. PlanWire monitors every UK council simultaneously, so a single keyword set catches matching applications from Penzance to Inverness.
If you're a local builder or installer, nationwide monitoring still has value: you see all the applications in your region without needing to specify each council individually. The daily digest simply shows you the ones that match, wherever they are.
How to get started
Setting up a trade alert takes about two minutes. You enter your email, your company name (optional), and the keywords you want to monitor. You'll receive a daily digest email each time matching applications are submitted — the address, planning reference, application description, and a link through to the council portal for full details.
There's no API key required, no technical setup, and no minimum commitment. Both plans include a 7-day free trial. The Starter plan at £49.99/month covers up to 3 keyword sets; the Pro plan at £199.99/month gives you unlimited keyword sets and multiple recipient contacts — useful if you want alerts going to your sales team directly.